The date of April 9, 1994 is remembered as one of the days when a dark cloud hovered over Rwanda as the planners of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi parked and left the country and it burned.
The date marks the start of the French operation dubbed ‘Amaryllis’, -- an operation that continued until April 12, 1994. The official justification for this operation was the evacuation of the French and other foreigners from Rwanda. This operation took place while massacres were being carried out systematically and on a massive scale throughout the country.
ALSO READ: April 8, 1994: Genocide spread all over Rwanda, soldiers, Interahamwe joined forces to kill Tutsi
The French did not want to intervene to stop the massacres being committed in front of their eyes, especially in front of Kanombe airport, and all along the road connecting the airport to the city center. They left several victims in the hands of the killers. Tutsi who had succeeded to get into the trucks of French soldiers were forcibly descended at the first roadblock, they were killed in front of the French soldiers.
Mixed couples between French and Rwandans were separated or left behind, European women were forced to abandon their Tutsi and their mixed-race children. French Embassy workers, mainly Tutsi, were abandoned. Meanwhile, the French Embassy opened its doors to the family of late President Juvenal Habyarimana, members of the regime’s death squad, and members of the criminal presidential circle, called Akazu.
Tutsi who tried to hang on to the gate of the French Embassy were repelled and killed by the militiamen. Employees of the Ste Agathe orphanage belonging to Agathe Kanziga, wife of the president Habyarimana, were evacuated, but France refused political asylum to the children of Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, murdered two days earlier by members of the Rwandan army led by Major Bernard Ntuyahaga.
The decision to evacuate French and other foreigners was not made after the death of President Habyarimana, or the two days that followed. French military and political officials had taken their time to analyse the situation with a vision to react at the right time. By doing so, the French wanted to strengthen the position of the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) in the war.
ALSO READ: Hate Radio: Theatre play on RTLM’s role in 1994 Genocide to be showcased in Huye, Kigali
On April 9, 1994, the Habyarimana family, including Agathe Habyarimana, and several Hutu extremists who had just launched massacres against Tutsi were evacuated to the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui, and transferred to Paris. Among them were the sponsor of the genocide, Félicien Kabuga who was at the same time one of the hardliners in power and was president of the Provisional Committee of the National Defense Fund (FDN) and president of the Initiative Committee of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), the regime's sinister propaganda tool.
The same Kabuga, was the importer of 25 tons of machetes in November 1993 as well as 50,000 other machetes in March 1994 that were used to massacre Tutsi.
Jean Kambanda government takes over
Early in the morning of April 8, 1994, Bagosora brought together leaders of political parties of the Hutu-Power tendency to form a government, all, unsurprisingly, on the side of the extremists. The composition of this government took place in the premises of the French Embassy in Rwanda with the supervision of the Ambassador of France in Rwanda, Jean Pierre Marlaud.
The MRND was represented by its president Mathieu Ngirumpatse, Edouard Karemera its vice-president and Joseph Nzirorera, its secretary general; the MDR by its Hutu-Power wing leaders, Froduald Karamira, Donat Murego, the PL by, Justin Mugenzi and Agnès Ntamabyaliro. The PSD was represented by two extremists, François Ndungutse and Hyacinthe Nsengiyumva Rafiki, while the PDC was represented by Jean-Marie Vianney Sibomana, Célestin Kabanda and Gaspard Ruhumuliza.
ALSO READ: · April 7, 1994: What really happened on the day killings unfolded?
On the recommendation of the MRND leaders, the group decided to install Théodore Sindikubwabo, as President of the Republic. Colonel Bagosora appointed Jean Kambanda to the post of Prime Minister. This government’s sole agenda was coordinating and spreading the genocide against the Tutsi across the country.
Its members had crisscrossed the country, inciting massacres, distributing weapons to militiamen, and justifying on the international scene the criminal acts that were being committed in Rwanda.
Massacres at St Vincent de Pallotti as UN observers watched
On April 9, 1994, Interahamwe, soldiers and the gendarmes killed Tutsi who had taken refuge in the Vincent de Pallotti Catholic Parish in Gikondo, these refugees were about 500.
UN troops witnessed the massacre of Tutsi, including many children, in this church. Also on that date, soldiers burnt Tutsi who had taken refuge in the village of Nyakabanda II, below the then Baobab Hotel.
The French Daily Liberation was the first foreign newspaper to qualify these killings as genocide from the pen of journalist Jean Philippe Ceppi who was in Rwanda during these bloody massacres.
Mass massacre of Tutsi in the former Kibungo, Kigali, Ruhengeri and Kibuye prefectures
On that date Tutsi who had taken refuge on the hills of Murama, Murundi, Mwiri, Nyamirama and Kabare in the current Kayonza District, just like those who had taken refuge in the Catholic Parish of Kabuye in Sector Jabana, Gasabo District, were massacred.
Interahamwe killed Tutsi in Nyagatare Sector in Nyagatare District, as did those who had taken refuge in Zaza, in Kibungo, where since April 9, 1994, the massacres continued, and from 500 to 800 Tutsi perished.
Since April 9, 1994, Interahamwe began the massacre of Tutsi who had taken refuge in Kiramuruzi, in Gatsibo District, as well as those who had taken refuge on Nyamagumba hill in Mabanza Commune, Kibuye Prefecture.
Refugees resisted for five days (April 9-14) and during the days that followed, more than 12,000 Tutsi were killed. On the same day, Tutsi who had taken refuge in Nyabikenke, at the office of the former Karama Sector in the Bumbogo region, were also killed, as in several other localities, such as in Cyabingo, in Ruhengeri Prefecture, at the Rusiza Baptist Church in Kabumba, in Gisenyi Prefecture, in and around Nyundo Church, as well as in Nyundo Maternity Hospital in Gisenyi Prefecture, currently in Rubavu District.
In the locality of Kivuruga in Cyabingo commune, there were many soldiers who arrested the Tutsi to prevent them from fleeing. Tutsi were killed both at this barrier and in Cyabingo and Busengo. The Interahamwewho had just killed them continued towards Mukinga, on the asphalt road, armed with the hands of the Tutsi whom they had cut after having massacred them; before going to Rwaza Catholic Parish, in the former Ruhondo Commune, to go kill others.